20 Years Makes Big Difference

RUDY'S REPLAY

August 22, 1996|by RUDY BEDNAR (A free-lance story for The Morning Call).

How about major league baseball at 3:23 a.m.?

Would anyone have stayed up until the end.?

It happened in Philadelphia almost 20 years ago. Usually, when there's a game being broadcast on radio or television, there are more tuned in than at the game.

Certainly, that had to be the case back on August 11, 1977 because the twi-night doubleheader between the Phillies and Expos at the Vet didn't end until it was time for some people to get up and go to work.

Let me take you back. Maybe you'll remember.

The players were heading for the dugouts after the final out, ending a nightmare that consumed nine hours and 40 minutes, including a bunch of rain delays.

Not at all like that last week as the Phillies and Braves completed the first game in 2:14 of a similar twi-night doubleheader at the Vet, and the nightcap in 2:31. Big difference, huh?

I know because I was at both. Back in 1977 (can't believe it's been that long) I helped chaperone the group of altar boys from our church in Lansford on a bus trip to the Vet.

We got an early start, gathering in front of the church to board the bus. A lot of the parents were on hand to see us off, never expecting what was to happen.

As I recall, it was a Thursday night (my regular day off which made it possible for me to make the trip). That Sunday, my column was all about this adventure. And adventure it was.

We never did see the end of the second game. It was not only late for the kids, but all the concession stands were closed for the night, half way through the first game.

Anyone who has been to a game with kids and unable to satisfy their hearty appetites has to know what that must have been like.

So we left soon after the start of the second game following another cloudburst and rain delay.

Rounding up the boys for the trip home was tough. By now, they had wondered all over the stands, some were in the picnic area, others were actually on the field, splashing around in the water, as the ground crew was applying the tarp.

Meanwhile, the folks back home, who were not tuned in on the broadcasts (I'm not sure if the games were on TV or radio that night), were really worried about our whereabouts because it was approaching sun up when we finally got back -- a happy but weary bunch.

We never expected this even though there was a forecast of some scattered showers. We were told that Phillies' exec Bill Giles hates to postpone games and that the last postponement was back on Aug. 5, 1975. Also the Phils had played 156 games without a rainout.

So, we were not to worry. But, the start of the doubleheader was delayed 17 minutes.

Actually, during the playing of "O Canada," the Canadian National Anthem, came the first downpour and it resulted in a delay of an hour and three minutes.

In the bottom of the third, it poured again, causing a delay of two hours and 27 minutes. We learned later that umpire John Kibler was two minutes away from calling it a night.

Lady luck must have been smiling on the Phils that night (there was no Phillie Phanatic prancing around) because manager Danny Ozark's forces won both games.

The third storm started shortly after midnight and play was finally resumed at 1:39 a.m. In all, the total rain delay for the twin bill was four hours and 56 minutes.

Before the days of artificial turf, the umpires would have called off the game at the very start. But, with modern technology, especially the water suction machine known as the "Zamboni," clubs could quickly clear the field of water.

Old Zamboni was overworked that night. Neither team was happy about the turn of events, because they were due back at the ball park for a 4 p.m. game the next day.

But, Greg Luzinski didn't mind. The Bull blasted a pair of towering two-run homers during the wee hours of the morning.

There were 47,664 fans at the park when the doubleheader started and about 10,000 or so were still around at 3:23 a.m.

The doubleheader sweep extended the Phils' win streak to seven straight and pushed them 2-1/2 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs and 3-1/2 in front of the third place Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League East.

That's why the kids were so happy, despite the long and hectic journey.

They saw Larry Christenson toss a two-hitter to win the first game 6-1 and improve his record to 10-5 while Jim Lomborg (6-3) and reliever Ron Reed combined to win the nightcap by the same 6-1 score.

Christenson actually was within a couple minutes of being rained out by the second rain delay. The umps told Giles they would wait five more minutes and if the rain didn't stop, the game would be called.

Two minutes later, the rain stopped and Christenson's masterful pitching performance was preserved.

What a difference last week (Aug. 13, 1996), almost 20 years to the exact date. The doubleheader loss dropped the Phillies deeper into the division's cellar -- 26 games behind the front running Braves.

Not sure how many of the 25,196 stayed, but you could hear the cry "we'll wait 'til next year."